Proclaiming shalom, bringing good news of good things, announcing salvation

How welcome is the bringer of happiness which comes running over the mountains, the one which brings peace announcements and good news [`gospel’], which announces rescue and says against Sion: `Your God is king!

“How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of those who bring good news,
who proclaim peace, who bring good tidings, who proclaim salvation,
who say to Zion, “Your God reigns!”” (Isaiah 52:7 NIV)

Invitation to attending the annual studies and meeting day
of the Broeders in Christus (Brothers in Christ or Christadelphians)
Saturday 2 April 2011
`t Nieuwe Kerkehuis, Dalton straat, Amersfoort

Why Jesaja / Isaiah?

In Markus Jesus starts his public preaching with: “The time has been fulfilled and the Kingdom of God has come nearby. Believe the Gospel and convert “(Markus 1: 15).[1] Have you here noticed that nobody asked him then `where do you have it about?’ They knew therefore obviously complete well where he aimed on.

Jesus contemporaries had indeed a very concrete expectation of that ‘evangelicon’ or gospel. They expected the reconstruction of the kingdom, which had started under David and Salomon, but to which an end had come by the exile in Babel. After the return from that was that kingdom not yet repaired. From the book Daniel they knew that it would take a long time. But the called time there, had expired and therefore they expected in their time the acting `Messiah, the promised king from the line of David, which would repair everything. The term `gospel ‘(Greek: euangelion, the good news) was also known to them. That term comes, as it happens, from the Septuaginta, the Greek translation of the Old Testament, which most of Jews used then.

The associated verb euangelizomai (evangelization or bringing good news) is found six times in the prophecy of Isaiah. And the Jews of the first century accepted that it concerned that convalescence of royalty. This had, however, to mean that the coming Messiah would dissipate the Romans from the country, and he would make their state independent. But the one who read Isaiah well, sees that it concerns in reality something very differently, as it happens, concerning the release from the power of sin and dead. And that is still much larger news than the state independence where they watched for. But during Jesus preaching few have understood this, but after his resurrection that was the message with which the apostles withdrew the world.

Title page original edition of the RSV

Christians know of course complete well that the gospel has to do with life and death. But how many do have also a clear insight where Isaiah preaching is based on? Because Isaiah is no easy book. But that message is really also for us very important, for a good term of what now exactly implies the gospel, and of what now exactly is the role of the Messiah (Greek: Christos) who’s the pin of it. Our coming study day we want to show you for this reason that message of Isaiah.

What will we do

Of course it is not possible in just a set of four studies to treat the whole book Isaiah. What we want to do, is showing you briefly what now really is the message of the prophet Isaiah, and which themes play a role in this topic. And especially which links there are all with the message of the Evangelicons, the Gospel and the rest of the New Testament. At the end of the study day every participant shall get the new book from our serial the “Books of the Bible”, within it the complete tale.

In the first study we want to outline the contexts: the political situation of the world in Isaiah’s days, against which we must read and understand the tale; but also the religious decline under the people. Not only who had become unfaithful under the treaty, but likewise under the `faithful part’, in which they were dragged more than they were aware of it. That people had a need for urgent salvation, but realised this not. Thus that had to made clear to them firstly. And that message is in the Christian world of our time still current the same.

The second study shows you how God presents himself in Isaiah as a god who comes up for whom serves Him. He summons as it were the gods of other people to show or to express what they also can do, and moreover to proclaim it in advance. However that is not possible for them, because they are but fabrications of their admirers. There with compared He puts His notice; not only that He will deliver and release His people, but also how He will do that. Because He controls the history. What happens to His people, His hand brought it over them. For this reason His people do not have to look for its well-being in its own political or military solutions, but trusting Him.

Then we show you why there was for this saving a need of a special `discharger’ or ‘releaser’. The people expected a coming `anointed’ or an ‘ointment ‘ (Hebrew: Messiah, Greek: Christos) from the house of David. But even the faithful Hizkia, who according to the writer of the book kings did not have his equal under the kings of Juda, was not well enough for this task. On the critical moment he also failed. God gave, however, a spectacular release from the power of the Assyrians, which model stands for the real release. But just then Hizkia realised and recognised that also he had firstly looked for a human solution instead of directly to trust an already God given promise.

Finally we reach then the nature of Isaiah’s message: God plan for the release from the dungeons of the largest enemy of people: death; and not from the seizure of a political world power. That victory on death would not be gained by powerful man-at-arms, but by a humble, obedient servant: God’s slave. That is the largest news on which people could put their hope. And it does not remain even there at: this liberation from the dungeon of death is there not only for the members of the old treaty people, but is also available for all nations – the goyim, the heathen – who want to convert themselves to the God of Israel.

That is perhaps still the greatest news, certainly for us! The bringer of that news is called the `vreugdebode’ = ‘delightmessenger’, literally: ‘he that brings good tidings`. The term that Isaiah uses for that good news `, is in the Hebrew bashar and in the Greek euangelion (evangelion). That term is, in this meaning, characteristic for Isaiah; and there is hardly a complete knowledge of the term `gospel ‘possible without knowledge of this context. Finally we want for this reason to illustrate that by means of a range links with the New Testament.

Topic of the day:

Isaiah the `joy messenger’ or ‘delight messenger’ of the gospel

9.45-10.30 reception

Programme

10.30 first study: The world of Jesaja/Isaiah
“Hear this, O house of Jacob, who are called by the name of Israel, and who came forth from the loins of Judah; who swear by the name of the LORD, and confess the God of Israel, but not in truth or right.” (Isaiah 48:1 RSV)

11.30 second study: Who is such as am I?
“Thus says the LORD, the King of Israel and his Redeemer, the LORD of hosts: “I am the first and I am the last; besides me there is no god. Who is like me? Let him proclaim it, let him declare and set it forth before me. Who has announced from of old the things to come? Let them tell us what is yet to be.” (Isaiah 44:6-7 RSV)

12.15-13.45 occasion for conversations and warm meal.

14.00 third study: No king such as he… but nevertheless
“He trusted in the LORD the God of Israel; so that there was none like him among all the kings of Judah after him, nor among those who were before him.” (2 Kings 18:5 RSV)

14.45 fourth study: Deliver from the hand of `the strong
“Can the prey be taken from the mighty, or the captives of a tyrant be rescued? Surely, thus says the LORD: “Even the captives of the mighty shall be taken, and the prey of the tyrant be rescued, for I will contend with those who contend with you, and I will save your children.” (Isaiah 49:24-25 RSV)

15.30-15.45 pauses

15.45-16.30 common discussion and answer of questions.

16.30-18.00 occasion for conversations and bread meal.

Beside following the studies there is wide occasion for mutual conversations or personal questions to the participants and speakers. Also you are most welcome at the lecture table.

[1] “and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent, and believe in the gospel.”” (Mark 1:15 RSV)

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Related articles

The Gospel (allsufficientgrace.wordpress.com)
The term gospel is found ninety-nine times in the NASB and ninety-two times in the NET Bible. In the Greek New Testament, gospel is the translation of the Greek noun euangelion (occurring 76 times) “good news,” and the verb euangelizo (occurring 54 times), meaning “to bring or announce good news.” Both words are derived from the noun angelos, “messenger.” In classical Greek, an euangelos was one who brought a message of victory or other political or personal news that caused joy. In addition, euangelizomai (the middle voice form of the verb) meant “to speak as a messenger of gladness, to proclaim good news.” Further, the noun euangelion became a technical term for the message of victory, though it was also used for a political or private message that brought joy.

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